With the Olympic Games swimming events almost finished there has been no medal success in the pool so far for the GB team despite many British records being broken and personal best times being achieved, writes ERIC WILKINSON.

The women's 4x100m freestyle team, which included Sue Rolph (Newcastle) and the 4x200m freestyle team with Nicola Jackson (Richmond and Derwentside) in it, both reached the finals and despite record breaking swims they still finished just outside the medals. The last time Britain failed to win a medal in the Olympic Games swimming events was in 1936 at Berlin.

The domestic swimming programme resumes this weekend with the North-East Counties Masters championships at Scarborough on Saturday and Sunday in which Newcastle University has a strong presence among the fastest entrants in the youngest age group. Louise Roberts is in line for a hat-trick with pole position in the 100m individual medley, 100m and 200m freestyle. Louise Brannan leads in the 200m butterfly and Mel Blackwell in the 200m breaststroke. Damien Hall is the top seed in the men's 200m breaststroke.

Also set for a treble is Richard Smith (York City). He leads in the 50m butterfly, 100m freestyle and individual medley. Colin Ovington (Gateshead and Whickham) is in a double gold medal position in the 200m backstroke and freestyle and Helen Douthwaite (Thirsk White Horse) is also in line for a brace in the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Kevin Smith (City of Newcastle) has the fastest entry times for the 100m and 200m butterfly and club mate Elizabeth Yaneske heads the qualifiers in the 50m butterfly.

The age groups start at 19-24 and go up in five-year bands to 75 and over. In addition to individual events on all the strokes there are medley and freestyle relay teams